 Poster: A snowHead
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skimottaret, I haven't had a chance to explore this week... I only skied one run today, and that was only to watch the SuperG, then back to work. If I get a chance to have a real ski later in the week, I'll let you know
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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From your correspondent in Les Menuires...
Icy and noisy in the morning, rapidly turning to heavy slush at anything below about 2000m. North facing slopes are faring a little better. Val T is fine. La Masse (Menuires) is excellent above mid station, rapidly deteriorating below. All links are open, but the snow at anything under 1850 is unpleasant by afternoon.
Snow is forecast for tonight and bit over the next few days with the 0 degree isotherm falling.
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doctor_eeyore, Excellent thanks, that's the sort of info that is really useful to us on-piste bashers. If you could possibly keep us updated on the thread up until Thursday evening, when I think our internet access for the week will end ( we don't think we will get a web link in the appt block) that would be very useful. Many thanks
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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First afternoon in les menuires / VT today. The snow cover on the pistes seems to be holding up ok, but it is getting very slushy. We were able to ski down to les menuires from VT for 4:30pm, but it wasn't pleasant. The snow was ok at the top of Peclet mid afternoon, but not great even over 3000m. It was 6C when we arrived at 1am. Some cloud cover and a few snow flakes this afternoon, but the slight precipitation this evening fell mostly as rain in les menuires. Hoping the temperature will drop a bit over the next few days - I skiied in base layer and shell only this afternoon. This is probably mostly a family ski trip, but if I venture further afield I'll update. On the plus side everything seems to be open. Next week will be busier with French holidays - link pistes are busy but not terrible, and only short queues for popular lifts so far.
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Also I need to work out which way north is 
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mb34, If you stand at the chaudanne in Meribel, look towards Brides-les-Bains and that way is North roughly (give or take a few degrees)
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mb34, That's very useful - I hope you have a good week and again if you could please keep us updated that would be really useful on the spot info for our arrival on Saturday morning to ski. Many thanks
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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So it looks like I'll be in Meribel Friday - Monday (yay!). Going by the above, am I right in thinking I should be ok getting over the links to VT still, just not leave it too late in the day? There's a rather fab instructor in VT I'd like to get another private lesson in with before the season ends.
(Plus it's higher, so hopefully a little more snow in general than Meribel)
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Off to Courchevel on Sunday. I'm not worried about the snow, the snow depths still look pretty impressive, and it's got to be better than the end of last season in Tignes when I was there 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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fixx, I'm sure the links will be open. There's plenty of snow higher up, it's just much too warm. It didn't freeze or snow last night, and it was 5C at 1850m at 11am, and it got warmer after that. Skiied the Meribel side of les menuires with my daughter late morning and it was pretty slushy all the way from 2500m down. The blues to resort level are really unpleasant. Parked my daughter in ski school this afternoon and went over to Meribel with my wife in the afternoon. (She's just started skiing again this year after a back op, so taking it easy) The top half of Combe du vallon was great, softer below the half way mark, and then slushy down to the mures rouges chair. Campagnol on skiers left of the vallon bubble was softer all the way down, but still ok, and deserted. The run back the les menuires down allamands was soft and slushy all the way. Brown snow at 2500m. Will try to get an early start tomorrow, but having to be in les menuires for 2pm and 4:30 is limiting. Oh well, I got my skiing fixes this year - I'll take this one for the family! May try la masse tomorrow as DrE recommends. Can anyone tell me which pistes are more North-facing? Thanks for the tip Callum001.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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mb34, what is piste M down from the top of the Vizelle bubble like?
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And are there quite a few bumps around?
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You know it makes sense.
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Snow was already soft at 6.30 am this morning. I finished skiing at 9am !
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| VolklAttivaS5 wrote: |
| mb34, what is piste M down from the top of the Vizelle bubble like? |
Don't know - haven't made it over to courchevel yet, will let you know if I do. Is it worth the trip? Friends who are in courchevel 1850 told me meribel is much less slushy, but don't know what they skiied.
Plenty of bumps around, but not great fun in the slush. Off the side of combe du vallon was the nicest bumps and snow I've found so far, but only for a few hundred metes before rejioning the piste.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| mb34 wrote: |
That's a good trick how? Are you a pisteur? Or one of those crazy people who walk up? |
Well, I do walk up sometimes, but the British Championships are on in Méribel at the moment, and some of the lifts are opening at 6.30 for course inspection. My son is racing, so I get an early ski before work
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Anyone else going out to the 3V this weekend? To Courchevel or La Tania?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Woke up this morning and it was raining with no vis in les menuires, so we took our time. Eventually dragged ourselves up to the Meribel side of the valley, and I guess last night's rain fell as snow above 2300 or so, so the first few runs were lovely. Actually got some fresh tracks for 20-30 turns of the side of Venturon (which was great itself). Still too warm and getting slushy even at 2500 by midday. Skiied on my own after lunch, so could cover more ground. Nice bumps and snow under cote brune - some queues. Campagnol off mont vallon quite slushy from 2800 by early afternoon. After a couple of laps headed to VT. Getting through the resort at 3pm was hideous. Slush, brown snow, crowds, and lift queues. Goitschel in particular. Much better up on the glacier, and some nice snow off the back of the col lift. Col itself was hard and mogulled, but still good. Eventually got stuck having to take bd cumin back to les menuires from VT. Really horrible, avoid at all costs. It rained all the way down, pools of water forming in the slush, and lots of poling as the snow is so heavy. What's the smart way to get back from VT? Thought Cairn would take me high enough, but it doesn't. Still raining - hope it's coming down as snow higher up, but the pistes in resort are going to take a beating.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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mb34, That's sounding a bit grim - we will be in VT Saturday morning - do you think a 3V pass is still worth buying or should we stick with VT and save some cash?
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| mb34 wrote: |
| Eventually got stuck having to take bd cumin back to les menuires from VT. Really horrible, avoid at all costs. It rained all the way down, pools of water forming in the slush, and lots of poling as the snow is so heavy. What's the smart way to get back from VT? |
Try getting Plein Sud then 3 vallees 2 or the bubble/car up to the top and you can get down to Les Menuires from there with some slope to save you having to propel yourself.
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| Megamum wrote: |
| mb34, That's sounding a bit grim - we will be in VT Saturday morning - do you think a 3V pass is still worth buying or should we stick with VT and save some cash? |
Exactly what I was thinking. I feel that trying to ski the full 3 V area will involve lower runs later in the day and a nightmare ski back.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Yesterday, 5 April, we had another day in the Three Vallays. This time we started in Meribel - Mottaret and then on finding Mont Vallon closed first thing in the morning headed over to Val Thorens.
We spent most of the day over in the Val Thorens area where we found some good untracked fresh snow high on the Glacier and then down from the Thorens Gondola.
The snow high up was very good until about 2pm when we went for a late lunch and even lower down into Val Thorens it was not to soft until around midday.
On the way back from Val Thorens to Mottaret from the top of the Col de la Champe we found some more good off piste on the higher slopes, but the piste lower down became soft very quickly.
The final run down from Plattieres 2 was very soft but skiable to within 20m of where we parked which was very good for this time of year.
For anyone going to the Three Valleys in the next week, you are in for a good time and it is still well worth buying the full area pass. We plan to go back again next week. 
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mb34, thanks - great tips for slopes, and useful updates Will certainly make use if we get there. Re. getting back to Les M from VT, I've personally only used Bvd Cumin, but as bobalexander1983 you should be able to head towards 4 vents from top of 3 Vallees 2, or even on to bvd de la lance and over to david douillet from it, down into Les M.
VolklAttivaS5, maybe - a few of us were aiming to do the long weekend in Meribel, but only making a call today at lunchtime if it's worth it (free accom, and living in Switzerland, so can leave it late to decide ).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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fixx, ok cool. Me and a friend will be there flying out Sunday. Looks like there's a bit of snow forecast for next week from Tuesday onwards, happy days
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Megamum wrote: |
| mb34, That's sounding a bit grim - we will be in VT Saturday morning - do you think a 3V pass is still worth buying or should we stick with VT and save some cash? |
megamum, I would definitely go 3V. The difference in price is small, and the top of meribel on the VT side is worth it. I don't think going over to courchevel will be though. Have not bothered myself, but our friends at courchevel 1850 tell me it's even worse than meribel - they say the skiing off saulire was ok, but no better. The liftie I asked also told me not to bother going over to ski the couloirs.
As snowcrazy says, the snow is still good high up at VT, although pistes are busyish, and some lift queues, especially Moraine. (Under col lift then skiers left under the rocks and down was particularly nice yesterday - the col piste itself was a bit busy to ski at speed.) I expect it will get very busy up there next week with the French holidays.
Today I skiied on the Mottaret side with our courchevel friends in the morning (mostly good snow to about 2500, some queues, fun bumps under cote brune lift). Coming back I actually thought about taking the lift down to les menuires as 4 vents and alpage are taking such a beating, but decided to risk skiing under the bruyeres lift instead. Got fresh tracks most of the way, and ok snow, but it eventually ran out and I had to climb down 50m or so to midstation. Probably not worth it on balance.
After a long lunch headed over to la Masse - arriving about 3. Too late. I The top half of the masse piste and bowl to the sides were still wonderful - some of the best snow of the week - but much softer for the second half and down longet to the bottom of masse 2 lift. Everything below that was very heavy indeed. Took the masse poma and skiied dame blanche - very heavy from top to bottom. And careful heading off the sides of dame blanche - I did and my skis just sunk, and not in a good way! Lac noir was ok at the top, again very heavy by halfway. Covii likewise. Les enverses was a slightly less bad way down to the bottom than vallons. Didn't try rocher noir as it was more like rocher marron by that point. I think the message is that la masse will be good down to the midstation in the morning, or if it gets colder.
It rained hard in les menuires earlier this evening - again, I hope it came down as snow higher up. For the optimists amongst us, my daughter's instructor says it's going to get colder next week. And the ESF guys were saying French bookings were lower than usual.
Thanks to all for the tips on getting back to les menuires - I'll give it a go.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Fri 6-04-12 22:10; edited 1 time in total
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| Patch wrote: |
| mb34 wrote: |
That's a good trick how? Are you a pisteur? Or one of those crazy people who walk up? |
Well, I do walk up sometimes, but the British Championships are on in Méribel at the moment, and some of the lifts are opening at 6.30 for course inspection. My son is racing, so I get an early ski before work |
Ah. Well best of luck to him - whereabouts in Meribel are they racing?
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You know it makes sense.
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Great to resort level in VT today. Fresh snow and a few degrees colder = fun
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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anyone know if the Les Avals off piste ban is still in effect?
anyone done any touring in the 3 V's recently? looks like it is getting colder again and there is refreeze overnight forecast...
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Poster: A snowHead
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skimottaret, ban was lifted quite a while back - Lionel from Gd Plan & a lot of others put pressure on the Maire (was completely pointless anyway in reality..)
(tried to post this in pistehors but the thread reply thing seems to be a bit temperamental...)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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offpisteskiing, Thanks i thought that might be the case.... your post on PH seems to have gone through okay
have sent you an email re some advice on tours... hoping it stays cold !!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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What a difference a day makes! Yesterdays rain fell as snow above 2000m (maybe 5cm worth), and it was a good few degrees colder - 4C at 10am in les menuires, and probably below freezing in VT. the morning was great - good snow down to resort level in VT. Cloud cover very low in the afternoon, and began snowing hard a couple of hours ago, and still going. It's even refreshing the pistes in les menuires. Think you can all ignore my previous posts and look forward to a great week!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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mb34, excellent news. Just as well I'm off there in the morning then!
I had a feeling it was going to turn out alright.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Even better today- great snow everywhere, but patchy visibility. I discovered knee deep powder on 160 slalom skis is toughif you weigh 85kgs. Otherwise, a great day.
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From us in VT - we think there was around 6" of snow overnight - the pistes are re-invigorated. Excellent snow on top 2/3rds of Pluviometre and Plein Sud - also excellent on lac de la chambre and most of 3 marches. We skied right into Les Menuires where there is good snow cover - though the lower slopes and paths are considerably scraped and shiney in many places both in Les Menuires and VT. However, there is not as much slush as yesterday and I think on the whole it has been colder. There has been thick cloud cover on the higher parts all day and some sort of snow has fallen for most of the day verging from just blowing in the breeze to concerted flurries. There was very good skiing to be had on excellent snow if you stayed high for example, on the Lac de la Chambre, and 3 Marches.
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Orelle valley was fantastic today With nice soft snow - visibility pm was pretty good, even a bit of sun in the right place. Sounds like the best vis around 3v today. Link over to VT didn't open until mid pm but didn't matter as there was plenty to amuse us with.
If it carries on like this, might need to check out the June flights for a cheeky weekend !!!
(PS to BBR haters, mine were a dream today)
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Great conditions today - 10/15cm of fluffy fresh on a good base up high in Mottaret & Val T. Pistes all very good too, even at 4:30 down into Mottaret!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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A bit like this:
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Bluebird day today. Pistes are still very good high up, firm, but with a good skiable surface, coming down into Mottaret at 11:15 the last 200yds or so was getting quite slushy and it was clearly only going to get worse as the sun persisted. Lac de la Chambre was still very good, the snow park under Platieres 2 as also an excellent surface, Allemands Red was great, the lower half of Petits creux down to the Mont de la Chambre chair was a real slush fest at around 13:30+ and the top of Pluviometre was also skiing really well at 2:30 ish, though it broke into slush about 2/3rds of the way down. The run down past Oxalys was a real slush fest around 2:45 ish brown in places, and stones coming up, but no where near as bad as during last years FBash. The Deux lacs loop from the top as far at the base of the retour was holding up really firm at around 3:15, getting steadily slushier as you then approached the Deux lacs lift.
The sun was lovely to ski in and I have actually seen the other valley today, but it has done the snow no good at all.
Stop press: Jersualem is closed and doesn't look like it has been skied for several days
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FAQ
BUT still another week left 
